Engineering Commons^™

Design And Comparison Of Variable-Stiffness Compliant Joints For Haptic Devices, David Usevitch, Mark Colton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Haptic interfaces or devices are computercontrolled robotic systems that seek to replicate the touch experience of a human user¹. The purpose of this research is to develop a viable variable-stiffness compliant joint for haptic interfaces that eliminate rotation joints or screw mechanisms that induce friction, increase weight and cost, and make devices more complex and prone to failure. The resulting compliant haptic device was designed with both affordability and dependability in mind, and hopes to result in research knowledge leading to realistic touch experiences as users interact with virtual or remote environments. The joint may also be applicable …

Safety Analysis Of A Flashing Drum Steam Generation System, Jacob Ladd, Cade Memmott

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of the Integral, Inherently Safe Light Water Reactor (I2S-LWR) Research Project is to design a more inherently safe reactor. This reactor is capable of cooling the core with no external power and no operator action.[1] In the I2S-LWR design, micro-channel heat exchangers (MCHX) facilitate heat transfer from the reactor to the steam generation system (SGS), where steam is used to produce electricity.^{1, 2}

The I2S-LWR design requires the use of a “flashing” drum to produce steam, and the flashing drum and its impact on the SGS must be evaluated for safety before it can be incorporated into …

Origami: Numerical Solutions Of Apparent Absorptivity In Origami Folds, Michael Farnsworth, Brian Iverson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

There are three major types of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. In many cases, radiation is ignored due to the fact that the amount of heat transferred by this method tend to be small compared to conduction and convection. However, in space and in some settings on earth, radiation is dominant and important. Absorptivity is a measure of an object’s ability to absorb radiation, and apparent absorptivity is a measure of how the shape of an object affects the amount of radiation that it absorbs. For example, if you were to shine a flashlight on a mirror, the light …

Development Of A Flow Duration Curve To Determine Hydropower Feasibility, Susan Estep, Elise Estep, Dr. Jim Nelson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to derive Flow Duration Curves (FDCs) by three separate methods in order to compare the accuracy of these methods. The FDCs would be used to estimate the amount of water that would be consistently available for hydropower.

Effect Of Thickness On Fatigue Life On Creased Thin Pla, Peter Schleede, Larry Howell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Origami-based engineering creates products that solve problems inherent in other designs. For example, they can compress into smaller volumes, achieve new and unique motions, and lessen or mitigate numbers of welds, fasteners, or other joining methods. However, a weakness of these designs is the necessity of folding them and seams that result from that folding. If viable, 3D printing these designs would eliminate the need for complicated folding machinery or adhesives to close the seams. Since origami is, by its nature, dynamic, this research aims to help designers predict fatigue lives (number of cycles until failure) of thin, printed PLA …

Safety Of Tubular Nylon Webbing: The Effect Of Wet And Cold Environments, Caleb Duncan, Landon Wright, John Salmon

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Tubular nylon webbing is an effective and relatively inexpensive anchoring solution for search and rescue groups, fire departments, canyoners, and rock climbers. As an anchoring solution nylon webbing is vital to the safety of anyone who uses it. Serious injury or death will often occur if an anchor fails.

All commercially available webbing is labeled with a breaking strength so that the end user is aware of its limits. This breaking strength value is obtained by the manufacture after running many tensile pull tests of dry webbing. While the dry breaking strength is reported by the manufacture no information, other …

Droplets Rolling On Superhydrophobic Inclines Simulating Real World Application Environments, Braquel Burnett, Julie Crockett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Superhydrophobic surfaces offer unique characteristics such as extreme water repellency, drag reduction and enhanced condensation rates. These effects are possible due to a combination of micro/nano-texturing and a hydrophobic chemical coating. With the advent of micro/nano-fabrication, research and development on superhydrophobic surfaces has sky-rocketed due to the potential advantages across multiple industries including lab-on-a-chip technology, micro-electronic cooling and anti-icing applications.

The Influence Of Crystallographic Constraints On Percolation, Jarrod Lund, Oliver Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Within polycrystalline materials (e.g. metals and ceramics), grain boundary networks (GBN) influence the effective properties such as diffusion, conductivity, and crack and creep propagation¹. In precision applications such as jet engine turbine blades and solid oxide fuel cells, understanding and characterizing GBN are essential for better design. Modeling GBN allow for better exploration of the complex space of possible networks (figure 1d)². By modeling grains in a honeycomb lattice (figure 1a), grain boundaries can be identified by their misorientation angle (figure 1b). This can be a key indicator of the grain boundary’s properties. By combining information …

Thermal Characterization Of Natural And Synthetic Spider Silks By Both The 3Ω And Transient Electrothermal Methods, Troy Munro, Changhu Xing, Heng Ban, Cameron G. Copeland, Randolph V. Lewis, Colby Jensen

Faculty Publications

Thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and volumetric heat capacity of three spider silks are measured in this paper as a benchmark for further studies. These silks include the major and minor ampullate silks of the Nephila clavipes spider, and a synthetic spider silk fiber made from recombinant dragline silk proteins purified from transgenic goats’ milk. Two complementary measurement techniques are employed in the thermal characterization of these microscale single fibers for self-verification. One is the transient electrothermal technique (TET) and the other is the 3ω method. Experimental measurements indicate that thermal properties of the dragline silk are very close to those …

Investigation Of Synthetic Spider Silk Crystallinity And Alignment Via Electrothermal, Pyroelectric, Literature Xrd, And Tensile Techniques, Troy Munro, Tristan Putzeys, Michael Wubbenhorst, Christ Glorieux, Cameron G. Copeland, Randolph V. Lewis, Changhu Xing, Heng Ban

Faculty Publications

The processes used to create synthetic spider silk greatly affect the properties of the produced fibers. This paper investigates the effect of process variations during artificial spinning on the thermal and mechanical properties of the produced silk. Property values are also compared to the ones of the natural dragline silk of the N. clavipes spider, and to unprocessed (as-spun) synthetic silk. Structural characterization by scanning pyroelectric microscopy is employed to provide insight into the axial orientation of the crystalline regions of the fiber and is supported by XRD data. The results show that stretching and passage through liquid baths induce …

Full-Scale Pavement Testing Of Aggregate Base Material Stabilized With Triaxial Geogrid, Shaun Todd Hilton

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to investigate the structural capacity of aggregate base materials stabilized with triaxial geogrid placed in a full-scale pavement involving control, or unstabilized, sections. Field testing was performed on a roadway in northeastern Utah that was 16 km (10 miles) long and included 10 test sections, seven stabilized sections and three control sections, each having five test locations. The pavement structure was comprised of a hot mix asphalt layer overlying an untreated aggregate base layer of varying thickness, depending on the test section. Except for the control sections, one or two layers of geogrid were …

Non-Dimensional Modeling Of The Effects Of Weld Parameters On Peak Temperature And Cooling Rate In Friction Stir Welding, Bryan Jay Stringham

Theses and Dissertations

Methods for predicting weld properties based on welding parameters are needed in friction stir welding (FSW). FSW is a joining process in which the resulting properties depend on the thermal cycle of the weld. Buckingham's Pi theorem and heat transfer analysis was used to identify dimensionless parameters relevant to the FSW process. Experimental data from Al 7075 and HSLA-65 on five different backing plate materials and a wide range of travel speeds and weld powers was used to create a dimensionless, empirical model relating critical weld parameters to the peak temperature rise and cooling rate of the weld. The models …

Selecting Surrogate Folds For Use In Origami-Based Mechanisms And Products, Jason Tyler Allen

Theses and Dissertations

Origami-based design is increasing in popularity as its benefits and advantages become better understood and explored. However, many opportunities still exist for the application of origami principles to engineered designs, especially in the use of non-paper, thick sheet materials. One specific area utilizing thick sheet materials that is especially promising is origami-based mechanisms that require electrical power transfer applications. Many of these opportunities can be met by the use of surrogate folds. This thesis provides methods and frameworks that can be used by engineers to efficiently select and design surrogate folds for use in origami-based mechanisms and products. Surrogate folds …

Strut-And-Tie Modeling Of Multistory, Partially-Grouted, Concrete Masonry Shear Walls With Openings, Jeffrey Ryan Buxton

Theses and Dissertations

Construction practices are constantly evolving in order to adapt to physical locations and economic conditions. These adaptations may result in more cost-effective designs, but may also come at a cost of strength. In masonry shear walls, it is becoming more common to reduce the amount of grouting from every cell to only those with reinforcement, a practice known as partial-grouting. Partially-grouted masonry responds differently and in a more complex matter to lateral loads as compared to fully-grouted masonry. The response is made even more complex by wall discontinuities in the form of openings. The main objective of this study is …

Estimating Short-Term Human Intent For Physical Human-Robot Co-Manipulation, Eric Christopher Townsend

Theses and Dissertations

Robots are increasingly becoming safer and more capable. In the past, the main applications for robots have been in manufacturing, where they perform repetitive, highly accurate tasks with physical barriers that separate them from people. They have also been used in space exploration where people are not around. Due to improvements in sensors, algorithms, and design, robots are beginning to be used in other applications like materials handling, healthcare, and agriculture and will one day be ubiquitous. For this to be possible, they will need to be able to function safely in unmodelled and dynamic environments. This is especially true …

The Effect Of Transit-Oriented Development Siteson Residential Home Pricing, Bradley S. Randall

Theses and Dissertations

For a number of years residential and commercial development has grown surrounding railways stations in many cities across the United States. One of the trends that has occurred in a number of cities relates to positive property value correlations between real estate values near transit stations and transit-oriented development (TOD) sites as compared to their counterparts not located near a railway station or freeway access. Many cities have noted that homeowners are willing to pay more to be near a TOD site and being near a site can represent a statistically significant factor in determining where to purchase a property. …

Structural Lightweight Grout Mixture Design, Hannah Jean Polanco

Theses and Dissertations

This research focused on designing a grout mixture using lightweight aggregate that achieves the minimum 28-day compressive strength required for normal-weight grout, 2000 psi. This research specifically studied the effects of aggregate proportion, slump, and aggregate soaking on the compressive strength of the mixture. The variable ranges investigated were 3-4.75 parts aggregate to cement volumetrically, 8-11 in. slump, and 0 and 2 cycles of soaking. The statistical model developed to analyze the significance of variable effects included a three-way interaction between the explanatory variables. All three explanatory variables had a statistically significant effect on the grout compressive strength, but the …

Seismic Analysis Of And Provisions For Dry-Stack Concrete Masonry Wall Systems With Surface Bond In Low-Rise Buildings, Joseph G. Eixenberger

Theses and Dissertations

Masonry is one of the oldest forms of construction materials that is still in use today. However, construction practices in the modern age demand faster and more economical practices. Dry-stack masonry, or masonry that doesn't use mortar to bind the blocks together, is a unique system to make masonry more economical. Though several systems of dry-stack masonry have been suggested little to no data exists as most of these systems are patented. This research used dry-stacked normal weight concrete masonry units with an eccentrically placed reinforcement. The wall system is connected through a surface bond and lacks any geometric connection. …

Decellularization And Recellularization Processes For Whole Porcine Kidneys, Nafiseh Poornejad

Theses and Dissertations

Concern over kidney disease has increased dramatically in recent years within the medical community. It is estimated that approximately one in fifteen Americans, nearly 20 million people, experience chronic kidney disease with most of those diagnosed progressing to kidney failure. The ultimate treatment available for end stage renal failure is whole kidney transplantation. However, there are very few kidneys available for patients to receive and those patients who are fortunate enough to receive an organ must remain on immunosuppressive medication for the remainder of their lives. The United States Department of Health & Human Services have reported that 18 people …

Experimental And Computational Analysis Of An Axial Turbine Driven By Pulsing Flow, Mark H. Fernelius

Theses and Dissertations

Pressure gain combustion is a form of combustion that uses pressure waves to transfer energy and generate a rise in total pressure during the combustion process. Pressure gain combustion shows potential to increase the cycle efficiency of conventional gas turbine engines if used in place of the steady combustor. However, one of the challenges of integrating pressure gain combustion into a gas turbine engine is that a turbine driven by pulsing flow experiences a decrease in efficiency. The interaction of pressure pulses with a turbine was investigated to gain physical insights and to provide guidelines for designing turbines to be …

Improvements, Algorithms And A Simulation Model For A Compact Phased-Array Radar For Uas Sense And Avoid, Adam Kaleo Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are an influential technology which can enhance life in multiple ways. However, they must be able to sense and operate safely with manned aircraft. Radar is an attractive sensor for UAS because of its all-weather performance. It is challenging, though, to meet the size, weight, and power (SWaP) limitations of UAS and especially small-UAS while still maintaining the needed sensing capability. A working FMCW radar prototype has been created which meets the SWaP requirement of small-UAS. A simulation model for the radar was developed to test the processing algorithms of the radar and proved to be …

High-Speed Programmable Fpga Configuration Memory Access Using Jtag, Ammon Bradley Gruwell

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past couple of decades Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have become increasingly useful in a variety of domains. This is due to their low cost and flexibility compared to custom ASICs. This increasing interest in FPGAs has driven the need for tools that both qualify and improve the reliability of FPGAs for applications where the reconfigurability of FPGAs makes them vulnerable to radiation upsets such as in aerospace environments. Such tools ideally work with a wide variety of devices, are highly programmable but simple to use, and perform tasks at relatively high speeds. Of the various FPGA configuration …

Design Optimization And Motion Planning For Pneumatically-Actuated Manipulators, Daniel Mark Bodily

Theses and Dissertations

Soft robotic systems are becoming increasingly popular as they are generally safer, lighter, and easier to manufacture than their more rigid, traditional counterparts. These advantages allow an increased sense of freedom in both the design and operation of these platforms. In this work, we seek methods of leveraging this freedom to both design and plan motions for two different serial-chain, pneumatically actuated manipulators developed by Pneubotics, a small startup company based in San Francisco. In doing so, we focus primarily on two related endeavors: (1) the optimal kinematic design of these and other similar robots (i.e., choosing link lengths, base …

Balancing Technical And User Objectives In The Design Of Improved Biomass Cookstoves For Developing Regions Of The World, Kendall Steven Thacker

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade a large amount of research has been dedicated in academic literature to improving the technical capabilities of improved cookstoves; primarily the performance efficiency and reduction of emissions. Unfortunately, as published literature has highlighted, the trade-offs that result from placing such a concentrated emphasis on these technical objectives is that improved cookstoves lack the same level of usability as traditional cookstoves. Thus, users often return to using their traditional stoves and the potential impact of the improved cookstoves is never fully realized. In order for improved cookstoves to have greater impact, there must be better balance between …

Using On-Chip Error Detection To Estimate Fpga Design Sensitivity To Configuration Upsets, Andrew Mark Keller

Theses and Dissertations

SRAM-based FPGAs provide valuable computation resources and reconfigurability; however, ionizing radiation can cause designs operating on these devices to fail. The sensitivity of an FPGA design to configuration upsets, or its SEU sensitivity, is an indication of a design's failure rate. SEU mitigation techniques can reduce the SEU sensitivity of FPGA designs in harsh radiation environments. The reliability benefits of these techniques must be determined before they can be used in mission-critical applications and can be determined by comparing the SEU sensitivity of an FPGA design with and without these techniques applied to it. Many approaches can be taken to …

Principles And Insights For Design For The Developing World, Amy Eleanor Wood

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation collects principles and insights from various sources related to design for the developing world. These principles and insights form part of the foundation that can guide other engineers working in this area. The sources are the published literature, practitioners, non-governmental organizations, and our own field studies. From the engineering literature, we identified nine principles to guide engineers as they design poverty alleviating products for developing communities. Each principle is articulated, supporting literature is described, an in-depth example from the literature is given, followed by suggestions for how the principle can be applied to day-to-day engineering activities. Next, the …

Using Lidar Data To Analyze Access Management Criteria In Utah, Marlee Lyn Seat

Theses and Dissertations

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has completed a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data inventory that includes access locations across the UDOT network. The new data are anticipated to be extremely useful in better defining safety and in completing a systemwide analysis of locations where safety could be improved, or where safety has been improved across the state. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brigham Young University (BYU) has worked with the new data to perform a safety analysis of the state related to access management, particularly related to driveway spacing and raised medians. The primary objective …

Hybrid State-Transactional Database For Product Lifecycle Management Features In Multi-Engineer Synchronous Heterogeneous Computer-Aided Design, Devin James Shumway

Theses and Dissertations

There are many different programs that can perform Computer Aided Design (CAD). In order for these programs to share data, file translations need to occur. These translations have typically been done by IGES and STEP files. With the work done at the BYU CAD Lab to create a multi-engineer synchronous heterogeneous CAD environment, these translation processes have become synchronous by using a server and a database to manage the data. However, this system stores part data in a database. The data in the database cannot be used in traditional Product Lifecycle Management systems. In order to remedy this, a new …

Catalytic Gasification Of A Powder River Basin Coal With Co2 And H2o Mixtures, Zhang Fan, Fan Maohong, Huang Xin, Morris D. Argyle, Zhang Bo, Brian Towler, Zhang Yulong

Faculty Publications

CO₂ capture and utilization caused more and more public attention because of its environmental impact. The objective of this work was to study the catalytic gasification of a sub-bituminous coal from the Powder River Basin (PRB) using a CO₂ and H₂ O mixture as the gasifying agent. Sodium and iron, in the form of inexpensive compounds, were chosen to catalyze the coal gasification. The experiments were conducted between 700 and 900 °C in a fixed-bed laboratory gasifier under the atmospheric pressure. Results show that the added catalysts had an effect on the composition of gas …

A Multi-Fluid Model For Microstructure Formation In Polymer Membranes, Douglas R. Tree, Kris T. Delaney, Hector D. Ceniceros, Tatsuhiro Iwama, Glenn H. Fredrickson

Faculty Publications

We develop a multi-fluid model for a ternary polymer solution using the Rayleighian formalism of Doi and Onuki, and give an efficient pseudo-spectral method for solving both the diffusion and momentum equations that result. Subsequently, we find that the numerical simulation is capable of describing systems at the micron length-scale and easily reaches millisecond time-scales. In addition, we characterize the model thermodynamics and kinetics including the (i) phase behavior, (ii) structure of the interfaces, (iii) mutual diffusion coefficients, (iv) bulk spinodal decomposition kinetics with and without hydrodynamics and (v) spinodal decomposition in the presence of an interface with a non-solvent …